It all started with a housewarming gift from my friend and colleague Gwendy. She had brought some crochet dreamcatchers to a staff training, where she was talking about the benefits of crochet (and crafting), and gave me one for my new flat. I had just bought some gorgeous deep ink blue paint for my bedroom and immediately got the idea of making a dreamcatcher wall above the bed with white dreamcatchers in different sizes and patterns. Once I had painted the walls, I knew it would look really good, and I made a dream catcher myself from a pattern I found online. I really enjoyed the process and decided to make my own dreamcatcher pattern after this. I found some lovely metal hoops on Etsy and bought a 50 cm one, as I wanted to make a really big one. The idea for the Kumuda Dreamcatcher was born.
Dreamcatchers are ubiquitous in western society now, but they originate in Native American culture, more specifically the Ojibwe tribe. Over time they were adopted by other Native American tribes and nations, and they have continued to expand their popularity beyond indigenous cultures, probably mostly since the 1960s. The circle of the dreamcatcher is thought to symbolise the roundness of the earth as well as unity, with the webbing inside intended to catch bad dreams. Traditionally they have feathers hanging from the bottom of the ring, and they are intended to let good dreams descend. It is probably more correct to call my pattern a mandala and the wall a mandala wall, and calling it a dreamcatcher is not in any way intended to be disrespectful to Native American culture and tradition. It is rather out of deep respect and admiration for the way they traditionally lived in harmony with the earth and nature around them. I am aware there are many different tribes and nations and don’t know near enough about any of them really, but I feel a deep sadness for the way the ‘European culture’ has destroyed so many beautiful indigenous cultures around the world.
To make the start easy, I used the star pattern from a snowflake series I have been working on, but the rest was a process of trying out and frogging a number of times to make sure the pattern would stretch evenly and stay flat. Of course, being me I just enjoyed the process and didn’t initially plan to make it into a pattern, but when I decided I really liked it, I made another one and wrote out the pattern. Gwendy then agreed to test it for me and the yarn and hook – and pattern – worked for her as well.
Kumuda means lotus in Sanskrit – more specifically ‘night-blooming lotus’, which I thought was the perfect name for a floral themed dreamcatcher that is intended to come to life at night! To make the dreamcatcher you need a 50 cm metal or wooden craft hoop, 60 g of Scheepjes Catona cotton yarn and a 4 mm crochet hook. The yarn indicates max 3.5 mm, but I tried it and it made the pattern too tight, I wanted a looser crochet effect. As everyone’s tension is a bit different you’ll have to experiment and see how it works for you.
You’ll find the pattern below in both UK and US terms. For abbreviations please see my page Crochet Terms. Please remember that this is my design and copyright. If you make to sell I would appreciate if you credit me as the designer and please do not copy or translate the pattern or present it as your own – thanks!
Special Stitches
Beginning treble4together (begtr4tog): attach yarn in any ch sp, ch 2, *yoh, insert through same ch sp, yoh, pull through 2 loops*, repeat from * to * 2 more times, yoh, pull through remaining 4 loops.
Treble4together (tr4tog): *yoh, insert through ch sp, yoh, pull through 2 loops*, repeat from * to * 3 more times, yoh, pull through remaining 5 loops.
Beginning treble3together (begtr3tog): attach yarn in any ch sp, ch 2, * yarn over hook (yoh), insert through same ch sp, yoh, pull through 2 loops *, repeat from * to * 1 more time, yoh, pull through remaining 3 loops.
Treble3together (tr3tog): * yoh, insert through ch sp, yoh, pull through 2 loops *, repeat from * to * 2 more times, yoh, pull through remaining 4 loops.
Kumuda Dreamcatcher UK terms
Foundation chain: ch 5, ss in first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: work into ring: beg.tr4tog, * ch 3, tr4tog, * repeat from * to * 4 more times, ch 3, ss to top of beg.tr4tog. (6 tr4tog)
Round 2: ch1, work in each ch3: (dc, htr, tr, dtr, tr, htr, dc).
Round 3: ss in next dc, htr, tr and dtr, ch 6 (counts as 1 tr and ch 3), * dtr in top of tr4tog from round 1, ch 3, tr in next dtr, ch 3 *, repeat from * to * 4 more times, ch 3, dtr in top of tr4tog, ch 3, ss to 3rd ch of ch 6.
Round 4: ch 1, * work in ch3sp: (dc, htr, tr, htr, dc), dc in dtr, work in ch3sp: (dc, htr, tr, htr, dc), dc in tr *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last dc), ss in first ch.
Round 5: ch 8 (counts as tr and ch 5), * skip (dc, htr, tr, htr, dc), tr3tog in next dc, ch 5, skip (dc, htr, tr, htr, dc), tr in next dc, ch 5 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last tr and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 6: ch 8 (counts as tr and ch 5), * (tr3tog, ch 2, tr3tog) in top of tr3tog, ch 5, tr in next tr, ch 5, *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last tr and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 7: ch 8 (counts as tr and ch 5) * (tr3tog, ch 2, tr3tog, ch 2, tr3tog) in ch2sp, ch 5, tr in next tr, ch 5 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last tr and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 8: ch 8 (counts as tr and ch 5), * (tr3tog, ch 2, tr3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 2, (tr3tog, ch 2, tr3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 5, tr in next tr, ch 5 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last tr and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 9: ch 8 (counts as tr and ch 5), * (tr3tog, ch 2, tr3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 2, tr3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2, (tr3tog, ch 2, tr3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 5, tr in next tr, ch 5, *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last tr and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 10: ch 10 (counts as tr and ch 7), * (tr3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2) x 3, tr3tog in next ch2sp, ch 7, tr in next tr, ch 7 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times, (omitting last tr and ch 7), ss in 3rd ch of ch10.
Round 11: beg.tr3tog in same st, * ch 10, (tr3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2) x 2, tr3tog in next ch2sp, ch 10, tr3tog in next tr, *, repeat from * to * 5 more times, (omitting last tr3tog), ss in top of beg.tr3tog.
Round 12: beg.tr3tog in same st, ch 2, tr3tog in same st, * ch 11, tr3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2, tr3tog in next ch2sp, ch 11, (tr3tog, ch2, tr3tog) in top of next tr3tog *, repeat from * to * 4 more times, ch 11, (tr3tog, ch2, tr3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 11, ss in top of beg.tr3tog.
Round 13: ss in ch2sp, beg.tr3tog in same sp, * ch 15, tr3tog in next ch2sp *, repeat from * to * 10 more times, ch 15, ss in top of beg.tr3tog.
Round 14: ch 1, dc in same st, * (ch 1, dc) x 8 in next ch15sp, ch 1, dc in top of tr3tog, *, repeat from * to * 11 more times, omitting the last dc, ss in top of first dc.
Round 15: beg.tr2tog in same dc, (ch 1, tr2tog in next dc) till the end, ss in top of beg.tr2tog. (108 tr2tog, 108 ch)
Round 16: ss in chsp, ch 4 (counts as tr and ch1), (tr in next chsp, ch 1) till the end, ss in 3rd ch of ch 4. (108 tr, 108 ch)
Round 17: ss in chsp, ch 3 (counts as htr and ch1), htr in next chsp, ch 1 till the end, ss in 2nd of ch3. If this is the end of the 50g skein of yarn fasten off and start next round with a standing dc.
Attach the mandala to the hoop with at least 12 stitch markers or safety pins placed evenly around the mandala and hoop.
Crocheting to hoop: ch1, 3 dc in each chsp and around hoop. If starting with a new skein, start with a standing dc and, once finished, fasten off and finish with an invisible join.
Kumuda Dreamcatcher US Terms
Foundation chain: ch 5, ss in first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: work in ring: beg.dc4tog, * ch 3, dc4tog, * repeat from * to * 4 more times, ch 3, ss to top of beg.dc4tog. (6dc4tog)
Round 2: ch1, work in each ch3: (sc, hdc, dc, tr, dc, hdc, sc).
Round 3: ss in next sc, hdc, dc and tr, ch 6 (counts as 1 dc and ch 3), * tr in top of dc4tog from round 1, ch 3, dc in next tr, ch 3 *, repeat from * to * 4 more times, ch 3, tr in top of dc4tog, ch 3, ss to 3rd ch of ch 6.
Round 4: ch 1, * work in ch3sp: (sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc), sc in tr, work in ch3sp: (sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc), sc in dc *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last sc), ss in first ch.
Round 5: ch 8 (counts as dc and ch 5), * skip (sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc), dc3tog in next sc, ch 5, skip (sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc), dc in next sc, ch 5 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last dc and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 6: ch 8 (counts as dc and ch 5), * (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in top of dc3tog, ch 5, dc in next dc, ch 5, *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last dc and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 7: ch 8 (counts as dc and ch 5) * (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in ch2sp, ch 5, dc in next dc, ch 5 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last dc and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 8: ch 8 (counts as dc and ch 5), * (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 2, (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 5, dc in next dc, ch 5 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last dc and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 9: ch 8 (counts as dc and ch 5), * (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 2, dc3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2, (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 5, dc in next dc, ch 5 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times (omitting last dc and ch 5), ss in 3rd ch of ch8.
Round 10: ch 10 (counts as dc and ch 7), * (dc3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2) x 3, dc3tog in next ch2sp, ch 7, dc in next dc, ch 7 *, repeat from * to * 5 more times, (omitting last dc and ch 7), ss in 3rd ch of ch10.
Round 11: beg.dc3tog in same st, * ch 10, (dc3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2) x 2, dc3tog in next ch2sp, ch 10, dc3tog in next dc, *, repeat from * to * 5 more times, (omitting last dc3tog), ss in top of beg.dc3tog.
Round 12: beg.dc3tog in same st, ch 2, dc3tog in same st, * ch 11, dc3tog in next ch2sp, ch 2, dc3tog in next ch2sp, ch 11, (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in top of next dc3tog *, repeat from * to * 4 more times, ch 11, (dc3tog, ch 2, dc3tog) in next ch2sp, ch 11, ss in top of beg.dc3tog.
Round 13: ss in ch2sp, beg.dc3tog in same sp, * ch 15, dc3tog in next ch2sp *, repeat from * to * 10 more times, ch 15, ss in top of beg.dc3tog.
Round 14: ch 1, sc in same st, * (ch 1, sc) x 8 in next ch15sp, ch 1, sc in top of dc3tog, *, repeat from * to * 11 more times, omitting the last sc, ss in top of first sc.
Round 15: beg.dc2tog in same sc, (ch 1, dc2tog in next sc) till the end, ss in top of beg.dc2tog. (108 dc2tog, 108 ch)
Round 16: ss in chsp, ch 4 (counts as dc and ch1), (dc in next chsp, ch 1) till the end, ss in 3rd ch of ch 4. (108 dc, 108 ch)
Round 17: ss in chsp, ch 3 (counts as hdc and ch1), (hdc in next chsp, ch 1) till the end, ss in 2nd of ch3. If this is the end of the 50g skein of yarn fasten off and start next round with a standing sc.
Attach the mandala to the hoop with at least 12 stitch markers or safety pins placed evenly around the mandala and hoop.
Crocheting to hoop: ch1, 3 sc in each chsp and around hoop. If starting with a new skein, start with a standing sc and, once finished, fasten off and finish with an invisible join.
I hope you enjoy making this pattern! I would love to see your versions of the Kumuda Dreamcatcher, so you can tag me on Instagram or add it as a project on Ravelry. You can also send it to me on Facebook.
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My Kumuda Dreamcatcher with the gifted dreamcatcher from Gwendy – pattern by The Loopy Stitch – and the dreamcatcher I made myself – pattern by The Little Bee. There will be more patterns coming in the future to continue growing my dreamcatcher wall – I dream a lot, so I need a lot of catchers to remember them! Happy crocheting!
© Saraphir Legind. All rights reserved.
